The Hamas and Fatah movements are discussing the formation of a government of national unity in Palestine at a meeting in Cairo, Hamas Politburo member Bassem Naeem said.
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“Delegations from the two movements are in Cairo to discuss the overall national cause and the importance of forming a government of national unity that will represent all Palestinians,” Naeem said.
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The Hamas Politburo member added that the issue of governing the Gaza Strip will be discussed after an agreement on the formation of a Palestinian government.
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Earlier, Al Qahera News TV channel reported, citing sources, that Fatah and Hamas began a meeting in the Egyptian capital to resolve internal Palestinian issues.
At the end of August, Palestinian State Minister for Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian-Shahin said that the Palestinian authorities were making efforts to reach agreements on unified governance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
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In early August, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Gaza Strip should be transferred to the control of the legitimate Palestinian authorities, and he also called Israeli plans for temporary control over the enclave unacceptable.
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In the second half of July, representatives of 14 Palestinian factions signed a declaration to end the division and strengthen Palestinian national unity following the inter-Palestinian dialogue in Beijing.
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The disagreement that led to the cessation of contacts between the Palestinian National Authority and the authorities in the Gaza Strip, as well as the Hamas and Fatah movements, arose after the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and the establishment of Hamas supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2007. In October 2018, both movements signed an agreement in Cairo to overcome the split and restore the integrity of the Palestinian political system, but the bulk of the agreements have not yet been implemented in practice
